The present invention relates to a vehicle switch unit which includes a steering angle sensor for detecting a rotational position of a steering wheel.
In recent years, the posture of a vehicle is controlled according to a rotational position of a steering wheel. As a device for achieving this control, there has been proposed a vehicle switch unit in which a steering angle sensor for detecting a rotational position of a steering wheel is provided on a lever combination switch.
FIG. 9 is a sectional view showing schematically a related lever combination switch unit. The related lever combination switch unit includes a steering roll connector 102, a steering angle sensor 103 and a lever combination switch 104 which are connected together. A steering wheel (not shown) is fittingly mounted in the steering roll connector 102 while the steering wheel is fastened on to a threaded portion 101a of a steering shaft 101 by a nut, whereby a rotation of the steering wheel is transmitted to the steering angle sensor 103 which is connected to a lower side of the steering roll connector 102. Further, the lever combination switch 104 is connected to a lower side of the steering angle sensor 103 so as to return a turn-indicator lever, for example, to its original position when the steering wheel is returned to its neutral position (refer to JP-A-2006-327362). A connector 105 to be connected to an electronic device provided at the steering wheel side is mounted on an upper face of the steering roll connector 102. Also, a neutral position fixing pin 106 for holding a rotor which constitutes the steering roll connector 102 in a rotating neutral position relative to a stator is mounted on the upper face of the steering roll connector 102. The neutral position fixing pin 106 may be removed after the steering wheel is attached.
A connector 7 of the lever combination switch 104 is provided on a lower side of the lever combination switch 104. In this configuration, the steering angle sensor 103 is positioned on an upper side of the lever combination switch 104. Therefore, a connector 108 of the steering angle sensor 103 and the connector 107 of the lever combination switch 104 are positioned on the upper and lower side of the lever combination switch 104 thereacross. Thus, wiring work to the connectors 107, 108 is deteriorated badly. Then, to cope with this drawback, a connecting device 109, which is mainly made up of an extension circuit board, is connected to the connector 108 of the steering angle sensor 103, so that a connector 110 which is provided at an end portion of the connecting device 109 is positioned near the connector 107 of the lever combination switch 104. By this configuration, the connection between the two connectors 107, 108 is facilitated so as to make the wiring work more efficient.
However, the cost involved in the use of the connecting device 109 which is made mainly up of the extension circuit board is relatively high. Therefore, the use of the connecting device 109 causes an increase in the cost of the lever combination switch unit.